Crankless mechanism



April 9, 1935. T. L. SHERMAN CRANKLESS MECHANISM Filed April 18, 1954 MWm ORNEYS INVENTOR 7720014 s L, Sherman BY I l m ATT -Patented iApr. 9,193 I l I 1,991,396 r cnamass MECHANISM Thomas L. Sherman, Bufialo, N.YL, assignor to MichelLCrankless Engines Corporation, New York, N. Y., acorporation of New York Application April 18, 1934, Serial No.121l074 inClaims. (01. 123-458) This invention relates tocrankless mechanismsplurality of cylinder unitslA, B, C and D arranged and particularly tocrankless engines of the type around the shaft in parallel relationthereto and shown in Michell Patent No. 1,613,116. equally spacedtherefrom.

In the patent mentioned there is shown an Each of the cylinder unitscomprisesa pair of 5 engine having a powershaft and a cylinderparcylinders E and F which are disposed,;.;in alinea allel to theshaft,,a pair of slants or slant plates ment with each other. Eachcylinder has mount mounted on the shaft and a piston coacting with edtherein a pair of oppositely acting pistons, the each slant and disposedin. the cylinder, the pis-. pistons being indicated as l5, i6, i1 andI8. tons acting in opposed relation to transmit the The shaft I I ismounted in bearings 20, 2|, 22

power to the shaft through the slants. and 23 and has secured theretothree slants or it) It has also been proposed to obtain more imslantplates X, Y and Z. The piston has sepulses per revolution of the shaftby using two cured thereto a yoke 25 provided with pivoted alinedcylinders in each unit, a pair of pistons bearing members suchas slipperpads 26 and 21 in each cylinder and three slants on the shaft whichengage and coact with the slant plate X to j 15 to receive and transmitthe power from the pistransmit the motion of the piston to the shaft idtons to the shaft. Such a construction isshown II. A rod 28 is securedto one end of the yoke in Patent No. 1,781,008 to Greening et al. p 4 25and is mounted inguide bearings 29. p In the The constructionillustrated diagrammatically form of the invention shown, a piston to iscon in the last patent referred to is not satisfactory nected totheendof the rod' 28 and is disposed or practical, particularly for anengine having an in an air compression cylinder 3! from which air soeven number of cylinders equally spaced around can be forced throughsuitable conduits to the the shaft, as shown in said patent. Such anarscavenge ports of the engine.

rangement permits cylinders in each unit to me The piston 58 has securedthereto a yoke 3i simultaneously and so causes a doubling up of similarto the yoke and having pivoted bearthe forces arising from combustion,thus giving ing members or slipper pads 32 and 33 which 25 rise tosevere tbrqueand bending stresses and to engage and coact with the slant'Z to transmit unnecessarily heavy loadings on the shaft. the motion ofthe piston to the shaft .6 l. A rod This invention has for its salientobject to 3 3 is connected to the yoke 3i and is mounted overcome theconditions and to solve the probingsh I 7 lems above set'forth and toprovide a crankless The pi t ns 56 d W a connected y a yflke 4%mechanism of the opposed piston type having havi g b aring m m s SlipperD and two alined cylinders in each unit with sla t o 62 which engageandcoact with the central slant arranged as to lessen maximum stresses onthe Y and transmit the movementof the pistons to central-portion of theshaft and on the bearings, e shaft 6 E. l

35 to lessen maximum shear; stresses from the power V The cylinders Eand F are each provided with l 85 torque and to provldeagrater number oftorque intake ports for the scavenging air and with eximpulses perrevolutionof'theshaft. i haust ports. Theintake and exhaust Ports n t bt' m t is t provide cylinder E are indicated at 45 and it andgthe anengine of the type specified so constructed and intake and exhaust portsfor cylinder F are indi- 40 arranged as to'permit the use of cylinderunits of Gated at i and 41 r v 1 identical design in the same engine,i..e. ,having. he lan s X, Y. and Z are angulariy disposed the samerelation of scavenge and exhaust t l to h other and are $0 mounted on thporting. shaft that the piston l8 will lead the piston ill Furtherobjects of the invention will appear in y d F a Will thereforeiopegn hhaust 45 from the following specification taken in connecp 48 earlier nthe Opening f he. v ngw 45 tion with the draw g which forms a part ofthis 1. ing p rt 1- AI he piston iii in he cylinder E p v application,and in which 1 will open the exhaust port 46 earlier than th Fig. 1 is alongitudinal sectional elevation of openin of t e scavenge o t 45 b he pston 5. an engine constructed in accordance with, the The angleofadvance f the Slant z-over e invention; and p slant Y is shown inFig.2 at Z, O, Y and thelio v Fig.2 is a transverse sectional elevationof the a e a a e of t antY over e slant X engine shown in Fig. '1. isshown inFig. 2 at Y, O, X. By this arrange- In theeinbo'diment of theinvention illustrated ment the cylinder F will fireahead of the cylin vin the drawing, the engine which is of the barrel der E by the anglebetween any two of the slants.

type is provided with a casing HI, ashaft H and a If the engineas-illustrated comprises four cylin- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE as'etforth and torque therein. number of torque impulses perrevolution willresult in a smoother operation of the engine.

Although one'speciflc embodiment of the invention has/been particularlyshown and described' it will'be understood that-the invention is capableof modification and that changes in the construction and in thearrangement of the gyarious cooperating parts may be made withoutdeparting irom the spirit or scope of the invenon, as expressed in thefollowing claims.

1. Crankless mechanism comprising a shaft, a plurality of cylinder unitsarranged around and parallel to: said shaft, each unit comprising a pairoji'alined cylindersthree slant plates mounted on said shaft andarranged in angular relation to each other, a pair of oppositely actingeach cylinder, driving connections between the outer pistons and the endslant plates,

. and driving connections between the inner pisparallel to said tons insaid cylinders and the other slant plate.

2. Crankless mechanism comprising a shaft, a plurality of cylinder unitsarranged around and shaft, each unit comprising a pair ofalined-cylinders, three slant plates mounted on said shaft and arrangedin angular relation to each other, an air inlet port and an exhaust portin each cylinder, a-pair oi oppositely cylinders .will'be opened priorto the opening orthe inlet ports pair of alined cylinders, ed on saidshaft and arranged in angular relapair of alined cylinders,

acting pistons in each cylinder, said ports being controlled by saidpistons, driving connections between the outer pistons and the end slantplates, and driving connections between the inner pistons in saidcylinders and the other slantplate.

3. Crankless mechanism comprising 'a shaft, a

plurality of cylinder units arranged around and parallel to said shaft,each unit comprising a three slant plates mounted on said shaft andarranged in angular relation to each other, an air vinlet port and anexhaust port in each'cylinder, a pair oi! oppositely acting pistonsin-each cylinder, said ports being "controlled by said pistons, drivingconnections between the outer pistons and the end slant plates-finddriving connections between the inner pistons insaid cylinders'and theother slant plate, the slant plates being so angularly disposedrelative' to each other that the exhaust ports in the for the scavengingair.

4. Crankless mechanism comprising a shaft, a plurality oi cylinder unitsarranged around and parallel to said shaft, each ,unit comprising athree slant plates mounttion' to each other, apair oi oppositely actingpistons in each cylinder, driving connections between the outer pistonsand theend-slant plates,

and driving connections between the inner pistons in said cylindersandthe other slant plate, the slant ,plates being so angularly arrangedrelative to each otherthat the piston connected to one end slant willlead the oppositely acting pistonin the same cylinder which is connectedto the intermediate slant and the other piston connected to saidintermediate slant will lead the piston connected to the other slant.

the other cylinder being controlled by the pieslant plates being mountedon 5. Crankless mechanism a plurality 0!. and parallel to comprising ashaft. cylinder units arranged around said shalt, each unit comprising-a pair of alined cylinders, three slant plates mounted on said shaftand arranged in angular relation to eachother, an air inlet port and anexhaust port in each cylinder, a pair of oppositely acting pistons ineach cylinder, the inlet port in one cylinder and the exhaust port intons operatively connected to the central slant and the other ports insaid cylinders being controlled by the pistons operatively connected tothe outer or end slants, driving connections between the outer pistonsand the end slant plates, and driving connections between the innerpistons in said cylinders and the other slant plate.

6. Crankless mechanism comprising a shaft, a plurality of cylinder unitsarranged around and parallel to said shalt, each unit comprising a. pairof alined cylinders, three slant plates mounted on said shaft andarranged in angularrelation to each other, an air inlet port and anexhaust port in each cylinder, a pair of oppositely acting pistons ineach cylinder, .'the inlet port in one cylinder and the' exhaust port inthe other cylinder being controlled by the pistons operatively connectedto the central slant and the other ports in said cylinders beingcontrolled by the pistons operatively connected to the outer or endslants, driving connections between the outer pistons and the end slantplates, and driving connections between the inner pistons in saidcylinders and the other slant plate, the so angularly disposed relativeto each other that the exhaust ports in the cylinders will be openedprior to the opening 01 the inlet ports for the scavenging air.

7. Crankless mechanism comprising a shaft, a plurality of cylinder unitsarranged around and parallel to said shaft, each unit comprising a pairof alined cylinders, three slant plates said shaft and arranged inangular relation to each othe an air inlet port and an exhaust port in.each cylinder, a pair or oppo-. sitely acting pistons in each cylinder,the inlet port in onecylinder and the exhaust port in the other cylinderbeing controlled by the pistons operatively connected to the centralslant and the other ports in said cylinders being controlled by thepistons operatively connected to the outer or end slants, drivingconnections between the outer pistons and the end slant plates, anddriving connections between the inner pis-.-' tons in said cylinders andthe other slant plate. the slant plates being so angularly' arrangedvrelative to each other that the piston'connected. to one end slant willlead the oppositely acting piston in the same cylinder which isconnected to the intermediate slant and the other piston connectedtosaid intermediate slant will lead the piston connected to the otherend slant.

8. Crankless mechanism comprising a'shatt, a plurality of cylinder unitsarranged around and parallel to said shaft, each unit comprising a pairof alined cylinders, three slant plates mounted on said shaft andarranged in angular relation to each other, a pair of oppositely actingpistons in each cylinder, driving connections between the outer pistonsand the end slant plates, and drivingconnections between the innerpistons in said cylinders and the other slantplate, the slant platesbeing so angularly arranged relative to each other that one end slantwill operate in advance of the central slant and said I central slantwill peratein advance of other .end slant.

, 9. Crankless mechanism comprising a shaft, an even number of cylinderarranged around and parallel to said shaft, each unit tween the innerpistons in said cylinders and the other slant plate.

10. Crankless mechanism comprising a shaft,

Y and parallel to said shaft, eachunit comprising the I :arrangedvrelative" to each other the other end slant. a plurality of cylinderunits arranged around i a pair of alined cylinders, three "slant platesmounted onsaid shaft and. arranged in angular relation to eachother, anair inlet .port and an exhaust port in eac'hcylinder, a pair of oppo- 4'sitely acting pistonsineach cylinden'saidports being controlled by saidpistons, driving connections between the outer pistons and the end slantplates, and driving connections between the inner pistons in saidcylinders and the other "slant plate, the, slant plates beingsoangularly that one end slant will 'operate'in. advance of the centralslant and said central slant'will operate in advance of THOMAS L.SHERMAN.

